Latches are routinely used on doors, chests, cabinets and other containers where a lid or door must be retained in a closed and locked position. Typically, latches include a latch plate moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position. When unlatched, the latch plate may receive a striker pin mounted to the lid of a toolbox, for example, as the lid is moved to a closed position. Once the lid is closed, the latch plate moves to the latched position to capture the striker pin and retain the lid in the closed position. The latch may be provided with a lock to prevent the latch plate from releasing the striker pin except when unlocked.
A number of designs have been proposed in the prior art to move the latch plate from its latched position to the unlatched position wherein the striker pin may be released. One approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,810 in which a handle mounted to the housing of a latch is pivoted to set in motion a series of components that cooperate to move the latch plate to an unlatched position. In this and similar designs, a first end of the handle is pivotally mounted to the latch housing and its opposite, second end connects to one of the components that function to open the latch plate. The latch plate is opened by moving the second end of the handle to an unlatched position thus pivoting the handle about its first end. A substantial amount of force is required to pivot the latch handle because, as noted above, its second end is directly connected to the series of components that cooperate to open the latch plate.